MSCT Coronary Angiography

Non-invasive coronary CT angiography on the Siemens Somatom Force — the first hospital in Croatia to offer this examination. Visualises the coronary arteries, detects stenosis and plaque without catheterisation. Starting from €600.

Agram Hospital introduced MSCT coronarography to Croatia and remains the centre with the largest single-institution experience in the region, with over 6,000 patients examined. The procedure is performed on the Siemens SOMATOM Force, a third-generation dual-source CT acquired in 2017. The Force's ultra-fast rotation speed and two-tube design allow the complete heart to be captured in a single heartbeat — even in patients with irregular or elevated heart rates who would previously have required more radiation-intensive multi-beat acquisitions. The examination visualises the left main coronary artery, left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery, and right coronary artery in high resolution. Contrast-enhanced images reveal the lumen, wall, and surrounding pericardial structures simultaneously. Both calcified and soft (non-calcified) plaques are identified, the latter being particularly important because they represent vulnerable lesions prone to rupture even at moderate stenosis grades. Patient preparation includes a resting heart rate assessment. When the resting rate is above 65–70 bpm, beta-blocker pre-medication may be recommended to reduce motion artefact. A sublingual nitrate is given to dilate the coronary vessels moments before imaging, improving lumen visualisation. Intravenous iodinated contrast is injected via an antecubital vein and precisely timed to the arterial phase of coronary circulation. The scanning phase itself lasts just a few seconds; total appointment time including preparation is approximately 60 minutes. Agram's radiologists, trained in subspecialty cardiovascular imaging, report each case with segment-by-segment stenosis grading (SCCT/CAD-RADS system), plaque burden characterisation, and a clinical summary. The report identifies patients who can be safely managed medically, those who warrant further functional stress testing, and those with anatomy that may benefit from revascularisation. The department's 26 years of cardiovascular imaging experience and 6,000+ MSCT coronarography cases mean findings are interpreted in a rich clinical context. For patients seeking a definitive answer to the question 'Do I have significant coronary artery disease?' without the procedural risks of invasive catheter angiography, MSCT coronarography at Agram provides a fast, accurate, and well-validated pathway. Results are typically available within a few working days. The hospital accepts self-referral and direct patient booking for this examination.